


My Family Starts With You

by Unicornsfartglitter



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Family, Fluff, M/M, cursing, it’s Negan so yeah!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 09:24:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14931575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unicornsfartglitter/pseuds/Unicornsfartglitter
Summary: Simon becomes a father figure for Carl and Judith when all of Alexandria die. Negan sees what all that means.





	My Family Starts With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taraburnett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taraburnett/gifts).



> You’ve inspired me with the ship love.
> 
> So much fluff and no smut. I deserve a cookie!
> 
> ***My 90th fic y’all!!!

Suddenly hungry late at night Negan threw back the cover, his stomach rumbling telling him the hunger pains wouldn't dissolve. Shuffling on his slippers sleepily he opened his door and made his trek down the long hallway, moonlight filtering through the windows showing him his way.

He heard loud footsteps before he saw it, a lump of a form dashing into Simon's room. There would only be one person or rather kid running into his right hand man's room that late at night. Padding softly as usual he went to the door where he saw a kerosene lamp lighting up Simon's figure. He was standing bouncing Judith who was crying softly.

"Hey kid, you okay?"

"Sorry, I just woke up and thought dad would be there."

Negan had his own image to uphold but it almost shattered a week ago when he went to Alexandria to get his half of his tributes. The gates were wide open, bodies strewn every which way, inspecting them he saw some were shot dead and others eaten by walkers. His men took down the straggling walkers and went house to house not to find one living soul until he heard a thump above. He would never forget running upstairs and seeing Carl holding Judith closer, his gun aimed shakily at him. The kid hadn't ate or drank for days and Negan had just gave his father his final death downstairs minutes before, Michonne already dead on the kitchen floor.

"It's okay, I was going to read to Judith. Why don't you take a seat and listen with her?"

"I'm no baby."

Carl wasn't even a kid, fifteen and he had already seen so much, done so much but being an orphan was hard at any age.

"I know but my boring voice could even put Negan to sleep."

A deep pull within him had Negan peering through the open door. There was a damn rocking chair and Simon managed to hold little Judith tight and juggle the book turning the pages as he read soft and low to his children. Negan had already seen they were his, his protective stance over Carl in common rooms and how he mentored him, making sure he stabbed walkers to keep up his energy and skills.

Judith sat on a highchair at any meal being fed first and when Kale made a comment Simon shut that shit down on the spot, adding that both Judith and Carl were both not to be picked on but seen as children who lost too much. Kale even looked down guiltily soaking in the words and apologized to Simon who simply returned a nod and fed Judith more.

Carl had slipped into his bed and Simon stood, Judith now asleep.

"Why do you do it? Take care of us?" Negan had to lean it to hear Carl speak.

"Because you are still a kid despite what you think and Judith will learn quick this is the only way life can be but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be cared for and not be treated as just a soldier."

The blanket was pulled around him and Carl looked up. "Dad will never know you're a good man."

Simon blinked, his face in shock. "Doesn't matter Carl."

Somehow Negan thought it did as he saw Simon put Judith in her crib and climb into his bed looking over Carl's sleeping once before scooting as far away as he could on the other side of the bed.

It felt normal watching Simon be nurturing and something within him felt lifted, airy. He couldn't quite place the feeling that he had surely felt before. Unbeknownst to him it only happened once many years ago with his wife Lucille.  
————————————————————  
Negan woke up and took his shower then headed downstairs, there was a lot he had to do today but that started with a healthy breakfast. He froze and looked at Simon who had snatched up Carl’s hat and ruffled his hair before placing it back on. Carl was laughing, the teen had been so down lately, hardly eating and mopey. Judith babbled and Simon gave her a spoonful of food before whispering something funny to Carl.

Negan sat down waiting for his plate to arrive. Children were never put on points and Carl was in the gray area, where he started to look at a teen’s age and strength to see whether they could make it on a points system or were somewhat behind due to lack of food and he made sure they contributed but made it fair. He couldn’t bring himself to charge the orphan so he got the medium plate. Judith clapped her hands when he sat down and started to babble and point at him.

“Dwight’s on a supply run and Joey’s got the fence. If it’s okay I thought I would show the kids the farm animals. Carl wants to earn his keep and mentioned maybe helping caring for the livestock.” 

It didn't feel right making Carl work his ass off a week after his dad died so he grinned. “Take the day off but he doesn’t need to work quite yet, I’m sure I can find a more suitable job for him.”

Simon made a face, worried that meant more strenuous work unaware of the lie Negan just made, he didn’t want him to work at all.

“Sure boss.” He said with false confidence, no one disagreed with Negan.

They started into a conversation about rations and the Kingdom when he saw Carl staring at the bacon he shoved into his mouth, he had six slices since it was his favorite. He knew midlevels got two and lower levels which was Carl got once slice. In the middle of speaking earlier Simon had pushed a piece on his plate. He knew Alexandria didn’t have meat, they planted vegetables, there wasn’t much bartering going on with him in the mix and it dawned on him Carl probably didn’t eat much meat before last week.

“Boss I need to speak to you.” One of his me spoke with urgency. Standing he pushed his plate with only bacon left to Carl who beamed. It felt right, not in the petty way he usually showed off when doing something “good” but he felt lighthearted like he did before walkers when he volunteered at the local nursing home.

“What couldn’t wait?” Negan felt the need to be back at the table, not to eat but just talk before Simon headed off with the kids.

“We caught the rest of the group who killed Alexandria. I didn’t want to say it in front of Carl but we made sure they suffered.”

Negan patted his shoulder. “That’s great. I’ll make sure they give your group extra portions and a free week of clothes washing.” 

Now he didn’t have to worry about crazies attacking his men or going after Carl again though he would like to have see them try, they would have paid in a gruesome death.

Inventory needed to be checked for accuracy, paperwork accounted for, a Savior had stolen from another. Everyone thought he lived on a throne but being a leader simply sucked ass because it was hard work. All day he rushed not aware he was doing so and he looked down at his clock seeing it was four pm and still sunny out, there was no work left.

‘A walk will do nicely.’ He thought as he walked the premise checking the fences and making sure everything seemed as peaceful as it appeared. Hearing giggling he looked toward the barn. Simon had Judith sitting on top of the fence guiding her hand across a cow’s head. His body was pressed against the wooden fence, his shirt riding up as he held onto Judith.

‘He’s got a nice fucking ass.’ Negan gawked at it, Simon’s jeans fit just right. They weren’t the baggy ass jeans he wore a few weeks ago. ‘Wonder wear he got those jeans, he fills them out just right.’

A snicker made him fall out of his gaze, there was Carl with his hands on his hips amused at him.

“What?”

“The wives not enough for you Negan?”

It took him hearing the punks remarks to realize he had been staring at Simon’s ass.

“Kid if you knew what work it took you would actually worship me.”

Carl looked over at his sister and Simon, a smirk broadening across his face. “Hmm. No thanks. Takes more work to actually fall in love.” 

Carl skipped away and Negan bit his lip and scrunched up his eyes. Carl had always been a smartass but the reply was less cheeky and more wise. Negan’s heart sped up thinking of Lucille, he could never find that again especially on this rot infested planet. 

Simon greeted Carl squishing his face together, Carl swatted at him but smiled and leaned into to pet Betsy, the cow Judith was babbling at. They looked almost like family standing there talking and feeding the farm animal treats.  
———————————————————-  
That night Negan tossed and turned, thinking or Rick and Michonne. He had hoped Rick would come to see the good he provided and they would unite as a team. Rick was someone he loved poking like an angry bear, he trashed and raised his voice despite his fear filled eyes. He was going to be any alley eventually but now he was dead. Carl and Judith lost him and their surrogate mom and he didn’t ever care much for the woman but she was brave and fearless, he could only imagine her last moments were full forced courage, the dead body nearby proving that much.

Judith would grow up and probably be the equivalent of his sergeants and Carl was already there even if he didn’t know that. Still he wished a cure could come, that Judith could go to school and Carl get a decent job and marry to have kids. What was the point of kids now? They would die before you and if they lived it was hell. It stricked him then that he didn’t want Judith to be his subordinate killing machine to obtain peace, he didn’t want to see crimson blood taint her pale skin and angry blues turn murderous for his sake. He just wanted her to grow up and live a dull life.

The thoughts dragged him from bed and he stopped at Simon’s door hearing a book being read through the door. Cracking it open Simon sat in the same chair as the night before reading to Carl curled up in bed, Judith was nowhere in sight and he sighed in happiness because Simon was taking care of Carl now, loved both of them equally.

He observed for an hour, two children books turned into an adult book. Carl yawned and closed his eyes and Simon read on ensuring he was actually asleep before putting the book on the floor. The Savior looked over at Carl smiling then looked at the cracked door, Negan met his gaze head on, there was no way to hide.

Simon came to him closing the door behind him. “Couldn’t sleep boss?”

“You're good with them.” Negan cut in.

“It’s not hard, Carl's almost grown just sad and Judith is out of the teething stage so she just wants cuddles and to be fed.”

“You didn’t have to do this though.”

Simon brushed his fingers over his moustache and seemed to be thinking. “No I had to, they need someone. It’s not hard.”

“It’s not about being hard.” Negan tried ti explain it but Simon just looked at the door as if he could see the two sleeping inside through wood.

“I’m not a hero, I’m not doing this for brownie points with a higher up or for any other reason than it’s right. I don’t want to be looked at as anything other than a man. Their just part of the deal now.”

Simon had killed and stole, his anger burst through wilder than Negan’s. When Simon was angry at others he intimated Negan though he would never admit it. He was a construction worker before all this but was made to be in this world. Savage and too well adjusted for the cruelty he dealt at Negan’s orders but right now he was more than just an average man.

Two months later:

Negan started to interact more with Carl, helped him sharpen knives and clean guns. He would become his warrior. Judith was spoiled with toys and showered with attention. She wouldn’t become a Savior. She would be in the middle, able to defend herself but also help with tasks that were higher than store and duties such as washing clothes and cooking.

A month ago Negan admitted to himself the girl would have to be soaked in blood, kill humans and walkers or she would have no future. Carl was already a man but that didn’t mean that it had to be bleak, he was wrong he discovered one night lying wide awake.

It didn’t take much convincing with Simon, he was his right hand man, his confidante and advisor. Bartering and bringing peace was the way to go. The Kingdom and Hilltop came together to figure out the best security for their walls, the optimal training for defense, bartering for their food and how to teach each other how to provide food and build houses, even combined their knowledge to come up with a way to teach the few children they had. 

Tomorrow would be better, solar powered panels, water towers, silos, and windmills. Walkers may exist but they wouldn’t end civilization and they were going to branch out further to find more communities, hopeful of finding a scientist to try to find a cure. Negan and Simon weren’t putting stock in in happening but claiming something sometimes just made it actually happen. Negan found optimism in the middle of shit.

Simon turned hearing Negan approaching him, the sun was high in the sky but a cool breeze kept it from being stifling hot. Birds called out and Judith sat on a blanket, her face red with strawberry juice from the damn sweetest ones so far this season. Carl was hauling a bag of feed and putting it a trough. It wouldn’t be his permanent job. The blue tight shirt Simon wore clung to his muscles, ones that Negan touched every night. When optimism came denial washed away and all that was left was Negan, Simon, Carl, and Judith.

“Hey killer.” Simon took him in, the killing was much less these past two months.

“Hey baby.” Negan cupped his chin and kissed him, the hundredth kiss was just like the first. Warm and welcome, their mouths mounding as one.

The walkers would diminish, their bodies tearing away on their own until they broke down to nothing but severed heads on the ground. Wrong once again Negan would find babies being born, their education making things easier. Food would be in abundance as well as shelter. Enemies would come trying to destroy them but with many more communities being helped by them they would be too hard to fight. People would die but not many. Negan couldn’t know what tomorrow would bring because today was just a day, an ordinary one with a family he found through loss.

Negan squeezed Simon’s firm ass ignoring Carl’s fussing. Not only was SImon his but so was Carl and Judith, a love had blossomed in only two months and he wasn’t betraying Lucille but honoring her, he would do right, be better than he was before. Negan had a family, it came with love and acceptance and a vow to right his wrongs. It would happen over many years and the ability to change.

“Look at them.” Simon whispered, kissing his neck right under his ear.

Carl was chasing a cow and Judith laughed at the show. This is what Negan would remember when they grew up after they had kids and his was a graying grandpa with Simon still at his side. Walkers destroyed plenty of lives but for Negan and Simon it brought love and family with it.


End file.
